managing print jobs

  • Thread starter Thread starter Steve
  • Start date Start date
S

Steve

I have a cybercafe and I have lots of people printing
things, sometimes many more pages than they realize. I
want to be able to suspend printing until the user comes
up to the counter and asks for the output. I want to be
able to tell the user it will cost them x per page or a
total of xxx and then release that print job only.


thanking you in advance.
 
We have a product that lets you spool to file, you can include the page
count and machine name in the file name. You could then print this manualy
on request, see the url below.
 
Steve said:
I have a cybercafe and I have lots of people printing
things, sometimes many more pages than they realize. I
want to be able to suspend printing until the user comes
up to the counter and asks for the output. I want to be
able to tell the user it will cost them x per page or a
total of xxx and then release that print job only.


thanking you in advance.
Click to expand...

Steve,
You could use Virtual Port Monitor to capture the printer output to
a file. http://www.alphatronics.com/AVPMon.html

The file has a name similar to the original document. Collect the money.
Drag and drop the file onto the real, unshared printer. You could use
Ghostscript to preview the job first, if it's a postscript printer.
If it's not a postscript printer, you could install the client printers
as a Postscript printer, then use Ghostscript to RIP the job to a PDF,
then print to any printer from Reader. Be sure to install the Client as
a color PS printer so the PDFs are in color.

You could burn a CD with the PDF's they want too. Or let them email it
to themselves, etc...

Greg
 
Steve:


* Are we talking about (1)Color, (2)black & white, (3)both color &
BW ?
* Do you have single function or multi function printers ?
* More information about your printing environment needed

I would prefer to write a simple batch file (script) that would popup a
message with cost and only if the user clicks OK will the job goes ahead.



Thanks,
John.
 
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